kids had done better in practice.
The judge nearest the circle held up his hand in a halt sign, then
called another judge over for some kind of consultation.
'Come on, come on!' Howard said.
'Let the boy throw before his arm gets cold!'
Next to him, his wife said, 'Asshole.'
He looked at her.
'You talkin' to me?'
'Not particularly, I was referring to the judge, but if the shoe fits
...'
That pissed him off. What was she on the rag about now? He hadn't
done anything. He glared at her. She glared right back.
Tyrone stood there for another few seconds, then walked to where the
judges were. Howard couldn't hear what his boy had to say, but
apparently the judges really didn't like it.
The head judge reached out and slapped Tyrone upside the head.
'Fuck!' Howard yelled.
'You see that? He hit our son!'
Even as he spoke, Howard ran toward Tyrone and the judges.
The second judge must have figured the slap was rude, because he hauled
off and punched the head judge square in the mouth, knocking the man
down. Certainly this was justice, but that irritated Howard even
more.
'Leave him!' Howard yelled as he ran.
'That bastard is mine Tyrone stepped in and delivered a solid kick to
the fallen judge's ribs. It sounded like somebody dropping a
watermelon, thoowock!
Even as he drew near to the trio, Howard was aware of noises coming up
the hill: horns honked, metal crashed into metal. He slid to a stop as
the second judge spun to face him.
'Get off the circle!' the man screamed.
'You can't be here!'
'Oh, yeah?' Howard said.
'Hey, pal, I'm already here!
What are you gonna do about it?'
Tyrone gave the fallen judge another kick. Not as good as the first
one; it had a natter sound. Weak, son, weak.
The second judge threw a haymaker at Howard, who ducked it, came up,
launched a fast left hook to the face, then a right cross to the chin,
bap-bap! That straightened the sucker out like popping a shoe shine
cloth. The guy sailed backward and to the ground. Get off that,
asshole!
The judge Tyrone was kicking got to his feet and lurched at the boy,
but before Howard could get there,
both Nadines arrived. His wife kneed the guy in the crotch as Little
Nadine latched onto his arm and sank her teeth into his shoulder.
Irritated, Howard moved toward them. This was his business to take
care of, he didn't need the goddamned women getting in the goddamned
way--!
A car came across the field, lights on and horn honking, a big,
